Tulips and Diane(PART 2 OF 3)

Jinzaburo's village is near Sendai, where I entered the university.

Are you saying that Jinzaburo studied at the same university?

Oh no, he didn't.

Then how come you showed the university map?

A good question? 　You see, Diane, three women were among the illegal Japanese migrants. 　One of them was a wife of one farmer.

How about other two?

They were daughters of the lady-owner of the Japanese inn shown in the above map.

Why did they decide to immigrate into Canada?

The older sister, Aki, was a single mother with a small daughter born out of marriage. 　Aki's boyfriend ran away at the news of a coming baby. In the early twentieth century, a single unmarried mother was a big burden and an unerasable disgrace to any family. The baby was forced to be adopted by a childless couple as the custome at the day. So distressed yet determined, Aki decided to start a new life in Canada. Since Aki's mother personally knew Jinzabro, she asked him to take two sisters with him to Canada.

But how come two sisters decided to go to Canada together?

A good question!...'cause Aki disgraced the family, Aki's sister, Natsu, would have no suitors in the future. That's what she thought and Natsu decided to accompany Aki to Canada.

What a sad motive!

Well, Natsu thought that she would have no future as long as she stayed in her home town. 　So she also tried to start a new life overseas.

My goodness! 　What a sad story!

You believe it or not, Diane, both sisters worked hard as a house maid and saved enough money to purchase Melbourne Hotel on Main Street near False Creek.

Really?

I'm not kidding nor jesting, Diane. 　 This is a historical fact.

SOURCE:
"Squaw House and Melbourne Hotel"
(Friday, September 2, 2011)

Are you saying, Kato, this story has something to do with Bodhidharma?

Yes, of course, it has. 　Aki cut off the chain, that is, her social status in the society and decided to start her life in Canada from the scratch. 　She emancipated herself from the chain to her adopted baby-girl and the man who had run away from her.

I see...but Kato, how come you've brought up "tulips and me" as a title?

A good question, Diane...'cause you're a tulip to me. 　Ryoukan (良寛), one of the well-known Zen masters, said:

花は無心にして蝶を招く

Love between

flower and butterfly

If I translate it literally, it means that a flower attracts a butterfly without any intention. 　Diane, you seem to be one of Ryoukan's disciples.

What makes you think so?

You told me the other day that you'd rather pull your feet out of the shoes of a clergyman's daughter.

Oh...did I say that to you, Kato?

Yes, you did. 　Diane, you aren't so old to be forgetful, you know. :)

Mind you, I feel pretty young all the time. :) 　So, Kato, what is so good about it?

You know, Diane, some religious people are self-righteous and self-centered. 　I know you're quite religeous, yet far from self-righteous.

I'm not trying to be self-righteous.

I know that, Diane. 　By the way, do you know about Jim Bakker?

Yes, of course, I do.

Jim Bakker

James Orsen "Jim" Bakker was born on January 2, 1940.
He is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host (with his then-wife Tammy Faye Bakker) of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.

A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry.
Subsequent revelations of accounting fraud brought about his imprisonment and divorce and effectively ended his time in the larger public eye.

Some Christians say that he is a liar, an embezzler, a sexual deviant, and the greatest scab and cancer on the face of Christianity in 2,000 years of church history.

Well... nobody is perfect, Diane. 　At least I know, you're so open-minded and kind-hearted that friendly people gather around you even if you don't have any intention to attract them---just as Ryoukan said, "A flower attracts a butterfly without any intention."

Kato, are you pulling my leg?

Oh no, I'm not. 　I'm not even apple-polishing. 　Actually, I'm quite serious. He, he, he, he, he...

The Empty Mind

Shaolin Temple Warrior Monks

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【Himiko's Monologue】

I think Kato is quite sarcastic like the grand Zen master.
But I can easily understand that friendly people gather around Diane, who seems like a quite amicable person, though nobody is perfect.
Zen is one thing; romance is another.

Come to think of it, I've never met a decent man in my life.
How come I'm always a loner?
I wish I could meet a nice gentleman at the library in my town as Diane met Kato.
Well, they say, there is a way where there is a will.

Have a nice day!
Bye bye ...